The biggest piece of the U of I Extension mission is sharing research knowledge with the public. The College of ACES (Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences) has been running a Twitter campaign called #askACES, in which researchers are given the opportunity to answer questions from the...
In the throes of winter, thoughts of the summer garden may seem but a distant memory, or a future long in the distance. However, winter is a great time to begin dreaming up new ideas for next year's garden. A blustery January evening is the perfect time to settle in to your favorite chair with a...
In this special behind the scenes blog post, I would like to share the story behind the title of my blog. It is probably fairly obvious that the title is a pun on my last name, but beyond the obvious pun, the initials of the blog—AMG—are also my initials. I also believe that "A Merry Gardener" is a...
Now that fall is advancing and the outdoor growing season is coming to a close, I know that many of us will be looking for ways to hold on to a hint of spring in the midst of winter. Growing herbs indoors is a great way to stay connected to the vitality of the summer garden throughout the year and...
As nights grow colder and frost begins to make its sparkling appearance on lawns and cars, gardeners turn to the warm and spicy flavors of fall to keep the chill at bay. Many fall-harvested crops seem to have been made to perfectly harmonize with the characteristic holiday spices. One of my...